“The key change is the Minister must not prevent the supply and administration of processed cannabis products to a person considered by a registered medical practitioner to be either in the final stages of a terminal illness, or have a permanent condition that causes significant pain or impairment.

“This is a Member’s Bill I hope will progress the issue and, if drawn, will enable Parliament to properly consider the value of access to medicinal cannabis. Change is supported by the majority of New Zealanders,” says Damien O’Connor.

Showing 5 reactions

Sandy Mulqueen commented
2016-04-10 13:09:49 +1200

Cutting off cashflow to gangs by ending their monopoly on drug supply is more effective than National’s approach.
“If a lawful, regulated system is fine-tuned — so that drugs are cheap and trustworthy, the process is not too burdensome, and the taxes on them are not too high — users will likely come to prefer it to the black market. Competition, not violence, will destroy the criminal gangs that control illegal drug distribution.”
Dan Baum http://harpers.org/archive/2016/04/legalize-it-all/4/

Sandy Mulqueen commented
2016-04-10 12:43:07 +1200

“…when the government holds a monopoly, the public, not private shareholders, enjoys the profit. …That the government should profit from a product it wants to discourage could be seen as hypocritical, but that’s the way things stand now with tobacco, alcohol, and gambling. States generally reduce the moral sting of those profits by earmarking them for education or other popular causes. In the case of drugs, the profits could go toward treating addicts. The great thing about trying a state monopoly first is that if it doesn’t work, it’s politically much easier to liberalize to a regulated free market than to go the other way.”
Dan Baum (author of Smoke and Mirrors: the War on Drugs and the Politics of Failure).

Sandy Mulqueen commented
2016-04-10 12:39:26 +1200

New Zealand is in a great position to lead the world in setting humane and safe drug policies which also enrich the government coffers. (Labour could easily win the next election on the back of a well articulated drug legalisation platform. This lukewarm amendment bill will not have any significant impact -even if it succeeds in getting drawn in a ballot).
“…a government monopoly would be the least expensive and most flexible way to legalize drugs. It would generate the most revenue and — more important — it would protect public health.” Dan Baum from http://harpers.org/archive/2016/04/legalize-it-all/3/

Sandy Mulqueen commented
2016-04-10 12:25:25 +1200

“If we can summon the political will, the opportunity to establish a state monopoly on drug distribution, …is now — before the genie is out of the bottle. …The advantages of a state monopoly over a free market — even a regulated one — are vast.”
Dan Baum from http://harpers.org/archive/2016/04/legalize-it-all/3/